THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER
 
So now my hair is falling out and I have decided to get my second wig in four years.  That's a bummer.  I know in my heart that while I may have a genetic weakness for cancer (my Mother had Myeloma, my brother died of Leukemia).  (It's pretty interesting what does and does not get passed on...)  Still my own eating and drinking habits may have made me more susceptible to the disease as well as my general lifestyle.
 
People keep saying "but you eat right" and I am here to tell you that I do not eat right and I should!!  I know I would feel better if I ate all organic, more greens and fruit and no alcohol, sugar, or fats, but I do not have the discipline to do that.  I love a glass of wine and ice cream and butter on my toast and to give them up entirely would remove some of the pleasure that I get from life.  The answer for me, I believe, is to eat and drink those things moderately.  We have enough to contend with with the air we breathe and the chemical additives in much of what we ingest. And don't think you don't get them, you do if you go out to eat on a fairly regular basis.  Many of us would be appalled if we saw what goes into those meals that we order at our favorite restaurants.

And then there is the matter of my lifestyle, which is bizarre.  I often get up at 9:30 or 10:00 because I have gone to sleep the night before well past 11:00 and sometimes even midnight.  That means that my breakfast is eaten around 10:30, lunch around 2:00 or 3:00 and dinner usually at 8:00 or even 9:00 at times.  I didn't always do this, but I have fallen into my husband's pattern.  That seems normal to him.  To me it means you are literally missing half of the day when you should be most productive. With the return of this disease and the limits it is putting on my life I am very seriously considering altering this, to me, unnatural routine. And if I am going to continue to tend a garden, especially in the summer, I almost have to get up early just to take care of my plants before the scorching sun fries me and them.

I wish I could convince my children to do the same with regard to eating and drinking.  Moderation would be so beneficial and eating healthy, organic meals would remove many of the chemical additives that they probably now eat and drink. But that takes commitment and due diligence (Read the labels! Don't be taken in by the great advertising scheme to make us buy products that are laden with sugars, salt, and fat.) This damn disease is not fun and I am not happy that I am having to go through it again.  The thought of Kelley or Michael, or, God forbid, Hannah or Chloe having to face it gives me nightmares.  I have many things that give me great pleasure, it's not all about food and drink - honest.